Becca Trécare, from the Barmaz car park

Access

From the motorway exit of Châtillon/Saint-Vincent turn left and drive up the main road to a roundabout, take the second exit and proceed west on Via E. Chanoux through the centre of Châtillon, cross the Marmore stream and take first Via Menabrea to the right and then Via Martiri di Chesod before turning onto , the second exit at the characteristic roundabout with the Matterhorn in the centre.

Follow the regional road for 18.7km as far as Valtournenche where, towards the end of the village at Hotel des Neiges, turn right and climb up the municipal road to Cheneil. Follow the road for 6.5km until you reach the 🅿️ car park in Barmaz, the starting point for the hike.

The car park is ample but given the busy nature of the area it is advisable to arrive early enough on busy days to avoid having to leave your car further down the hill.

Just beyond the start of the hike there is a tourist lift, which is always in operation and allows you to save 50m on the ascent.

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Introduction

 The Becca Trecaré separates the Petit Tournalin from the Bec de Nannaz. It is an excellent vantage point over the Grandes Murailles, towards Valtournenche, and the Testa Grigia, towards the Ayas valley. The ascent from the Col de Nannaz is a little delicate in the final part as you have to cross some exposed ledges. On the summit, there is a rudimentary wooden cross wedged between the stones. The last four to five metres before the summit are climbed with grade I/II steps (be careful).

Description

From the forecourt, pass to the right of the departure station of the small cable car that supplies Cheneil, cross a wooden bridge over the stream that collects the waters flowing down from the western slopes of the Grand and Petit Tournalin and climb up a wide mule track, marked trail marker N° 26, next to the cable car and a waterfall, the step that precedes the Cheneil basin. On reaching the beautiful plateau of Cheneil (2105m, 0h10'), move to the right to reach the marker post. Follow the path, marked AV1, and enter a sparse forest of larch and alder trees. After a few patches of blueberries and rhododendrons, you cross, on the right, the marker (31) for the Clavalité Sanctuary. After another 7 to 8 minutes of walking through pastures, leave trail marker (29)/(30) to the left for Monte Roisetta and the Grand Tournalin and climb up to the four aligned huts of the Champ-Sec alp (2,328m, 0h50'). In hairpin bends, below the northern slopes of the Pointe de Falinière (2763m), you ascend beautiful pastures, while, behind you, incredible views open up from Cervino to Lake Cignana. One last stretch and you reach the Fontanette Pass (2697m, 1h45'), also called the Croux Pass or Col des Fontaines. We now descend with a long diagonal into the valley of Chamois, losing forty to fifty metres in altitude, until we cross the sign-posted path (2) to Chamois. Shortly afterwards, the track passes by a small lake (approx. 2650m) and then turns left, climbing up the scree above the Col de Nannaz (2772m, 2h20'). To the north of the pass is the Becca di Trécare, to the south is the Bec de Nannaz and, beyond the pass, towards the valley of Ayas, the Rifugio Grand Tournalin is visible below. Near the pass, to the left, there is a large depression that can provide shelter on windy days. We now ascend diagonally to the left along a grassy slope, then turn right and gain a grassy step. Another stretch through grass and scree and you reach another grassy ledge, right in front of the Petit Tournalin (it is very common to find groups of ibex in this area). You now climb the final ridge between steep grassy slopes to the left and the severe rock face of Becca Trécare to the right. In some places, the track is on exposed ledges (be careful). After the last four/five metres with a grade I/II passage, you reach the summit of the Becca Trecaré (3031m, 3h00'), where a rudimentary wooden cross stands. From the summit there are wonderful views of the Grandes Murailles, towards the Valtournenche, and the Testa Grigia, towards the valley of Ayas. The first part of the descent is carried out by returning to Col de Nannaz (2772m, 0h25') then, as an alternative to the paths followed during the ascent, we suggest descending to the small lake (approx. 2650m) and then taking the (1)/(2) signpost on the left. After a few minutes, follow the signpost (1) to the right for the Clavalité Sanctuary. Climbing slightly over pastureland, with beautiful views of the valley below, you soon reach a second small lake. Again uphill, go around a spur of the Punta Falinière and after a long diagonal stretch slightly uphill, you will reach the Clavalité Sanctuary (2530m, 1h25'). The view of the Cervino and the Grandes Murailles is superb. You now descend on the dirt track, go around a modest summit on which there is an anemometer, and come to a widening. Here we turn right, signposted (31), and winding through rhododendrons and blueberries we descend to rejoin the path we followed on the ascent.